ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
President's Secretariat
PRESIDENT OF INDIA TO ADDRESS THE NATION TOMORROW ON THE EVE OF 74th REPUBLIC DAY
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu will address the nation tomorrow  on the eve of the 74th Republic Day.
The address will be broadcast from 1900 hrs. on the entire national network of All India Radio  and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in Hindi followed by the English version. Broadcast of the address in Hindi and English on Doordarshan will be followed by broadcast in regional languages by regional channels of Doordarshan. AIR will broadcast regional language versions from 2130 hrs. onwards on its respective regional networks.
Ministry of Coal
Northern Coalfields Limited to Produce M-Sand from Overburden
Focus on Sustainable Mining & creation of ‘Wealth from Waste’
Northern Coalfields Limited , the Miniratna coal-producing company is all set to start production of ‘M-Sand’-the core material used in construction in civil works in its Amlohri Project. The initiative is based on promoting sustainable practices under the mentorship of the Ministry of Coal for maximizing the utilization of natural resources and minimizing the adverse impact of mining. Eyeing on business diversification while focusing on the ecological balance, the company has set up a Sand manufacturing plant using its Over Burden  as raw material.
This pro-environment initiative of the company will assist to conserve river bed erosion and preserve aquatic ecosystems. Recently NCL has secured consent to operate  which paves the path towards commercial production and auction of M-Sand which is likely to begin next month.
A whopping 410 Million Cubic Meters of Over Burden  is required to be removed to extract the coal below. The material above the coal seam  is known as Overburden . This huge quantity is roughly 4 times the amount of coal to be extracted. NCL produces over 122 Million Tonnes of coal annually from its 10 open-pit mines. The huge quantity of Over Burden  occupies large space and is a waste material.
The groundbreaking initiative is a win-win situation for the company, government, and local stakeholders. NCL will produce about 3 Lakh Cubic Meters of M-Sand annually and will be using 1429 Cubic Meters Over Burden each day to make 1000 Cubic Meters of sand per day. The ‘M-Sand’ produced will be e-auctioned at a much cheaper base price and of superior or par quality compared to presently available sand in the market.
After the successful commencement of this plant, the company is also considering to establish more such innovative Over Burden to M-Sand making units in different production projects. In the backdrop of NCL’s topsoil having good composition of silica, the possibility is also being explored for making Solar Panels, Glass, GRP Pipes and other materials.
NCL is one of the flagship subsidiaries of Coal India Limited, known for its 10 highly mechanized mines and its pivotal role in catering to the power sector. The company is located in Singrauli and Sonbhadra districts of MP and UP states respectively and has been entrusted with coal production and dispatch targets of 122 million tonnes in the current fiscal 2022-23.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in States/UTs
More than 184.12 Crore vaccine doses provided to States/UTs
More than 16.45 Crore balance and unutilized vaccine doses still available with States/UTs
The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The nationwide COVID 19 vaccination started on 16th January 2021. The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain.
As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply  75% of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.
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VACCINE DOSES
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SUPPLIED
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1,84,12,85,555
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BALANCE AVAILABLE
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16,45,41,016
More than 184.12 crore  vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt. of India  and through direct state procurement category.
More than 16.45 Cr  balance and unutilized COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered.
Ministry of Culture
Vande Bharatam Final Competition to be held in New Delhi on 19th December.
73 groups comprising 949 dancers from all 4 zones have qualified for the Grand Finale
480 dancers to be shortlisted as winners to perform at Republic Day 2022 programme in New Delhi
73 groups comprising 949 dancers from North, South, East, West zones have made it to the Grand Finale of ‘Vande Bharatam-Nritya Utsav’, an All-India dance competition being organized under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Final will be held in New Delhi at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Auditorium on 19th of December. The Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Culture had announced the launch of ‘Vande Bharatam-Nritya Utsav’, as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate 75 years of independence of India. It is a unique initiative based on jan bhagidari whose prime objective is to select the top dancing talent from across the country and provide them the opportunity to perform during the Republic Day Parade 2022.
In the Grand Finale, the dancers will vie for the grand honor and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to display their talent at the Republic Day Parade which is watched not only in India, but across the globe.
Over 2,400 participants from 200 plus teams were short-listed for the zonal level competitions. where 104 groups displayed their dance prowess before an august jury. Participating groups performed specially choreographed acts in various dance categories like classical, folk, tribal, and fusion. One experienced rich display of talent and colourful attires from across India. There was enthusiastic participation from all sections of the society across categories highlighting the spirit of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.
Top 480 dancers will be declared as winners from the Grand Finale and they will get the golden opportunity to perform on the Republic Day Parade to be held at Rajpath, New Delhi on 26th January 2022.
The Vande Bharatam competition began at the district level on Nov 17 and saw the participation of more than 3,870 contestants in 323 groups. Those who cleared the screening at the district level took part in the state-level competition from Nov 30, 2021. More than 20 virtual events were conducted for the state-level competition over a span of 5 days till 4th December 2021.
Over 300 groups were selected for the state-level comprising over 3,000 dancers/participants. Thus, for one month, the event allowed all aspirants to showcase their talent to win a slot at the National level.
The Grand Finale competition can be seen LIVE on the official Facebook page & YouTube channel of Vande Bharatam along with the website  and mobile application.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Export of Bishop seeds  sees a growth of almost 158 % since 2013
India’s merchandise exports touch USD 336 Billion approximately in January 2022
Several proactive measures being undertaken by the Government to boost exports
India’s export of Bishop Seed  rose by almost 158 % to USD 3.7 Million during April-December 2021 compared to USD 1.5 Million during April-December 2013.
The major destinations for Indian exports of Bishop Seeds  are U S A , Saudi Arabia , Canada , Nepal  & U K .
India has been seeing consistent growth in exports. It may be noted that India’s merchandise export in January 2022 increased by 23.69% to USD 34.06 billion over USD 27.54 billion in January 2021; recording an increase of 31.75% over USD 25.85 billion in January 2020.
India’s merchandise export in 2021-22  rose by 46.53% to USD 335.44 billion over USD 228.9 billion in 2020-21 ; marking an increase of 27.0% over USD 264.13 billion in 2019-20 .
The government has been taking up a number of proactive steps to boost exports. An export monitoring desk has been set up to help remove impediments, constraints and bottlenecks faced by the export sector, especially during the pandemic.
Various Acts under the Department of Commerce are being reviewed to remove redundancies and outdated provisions. Several bilateral trade agreements are being pursued with great vigour. The government is committed towards developing each district in India as an export hub through initiatives such as One District One Product . Support is also being extended to exporters through various exporters oriented schemes. Efforts are being made to reducing compliance burden through rationalization and decriminalization and several initiatives are being undertaken to improve the ease of doing business.
An IT based platform for providing exporters licensing and addressing their grievances is in the works. The Government is also working on enhancing value of branding of Indian exports to improve India’s global standing as a reliable supplier and proactive steps are being undertaken to align the nation with the global value chain.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
MSP Operations during Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21
Paddy Procurement shows increase of 24.90% over the last year
About 57.47 Lakh Paddy Farmers have benefitted from KMS Procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs 87391.98 Crore.
In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season  2020-21, Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at MSP from farmers as per existing MSP Schemes.
Paddy procurement for Kharif 2020-21 is continuing smoothly in the procuring States & UTs of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pardesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal with purchase of over 462.88 LMT of paddy up to 28.12.2020. This is an increase of 24.90% against the last year corresponding purchase of 370.57 LMT. Out of the total purchase of 462.88 LMT, Punjab alone has contributed 202.77 LMTs which is 43.80% of total procurement.
About 57.47 Lac farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs 87391.98 Crore.
Further, based on the proposal from the States, approval was accorded for procurement of 51.66 LMT of Pulse and Oilseeds of Kharif Marketing Season 2020 for the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh under Price Support Scheme. Further, sanction for procurement of 1.23 LMT of Copra  for the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala was also given. For other States/UTs approval will also be accorded on receipt of proposals for procurement of Pulses, Oilseeds and Copra under PSS so that procurement of FAQ grade of these crops can be made at notified MSP for the year 2020-21 directly from the registered farmers, if the market rate goes below MSP during the notified harvesting period in the respective States/UTs by the Central Nodal Agencies through State nominated procuring agencies.
Upto 28.12.2020, the Government through its Nodal Agencies has procured 239845.87 MT of Moong, Urad, Groundnut Pods and Soyabean having MSP value of Rs.1283.95 Crores benefitting 1,29,760 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Similarly, 5089 MT of copra  having MSP value of Rs.52.40 crore has been procured benefitting 3961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu upto 28.12.2020 as against the last year corresponding purchase of 293.34 MT of copra. In respect of Copra and Urad, rates are ruling above MSP in most of the major producing States. The respective State/UTs Governments are making necessary arrangements for commencement of procurement from the date as decided by the respective States based on the arrivals in respect of Kharif Pulses and Oilseeds.
Procurement operations of seed cotton  under MSP are going on smoothly in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka. Till 28.12.2020 a quantity of 6956291 cotton bales valuing Rs.20391.36 Crore has been procured benefitting 13,53,139 farmers.
President's Secretariat
President’s greetings on the occasion of Vaisakhi, Vishu, Rongali Bihu, Naba Barsha, Vaisakhadi, Puthandu, Pirappu
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind in his message on the occasion of Vaisakhi, Vishu, Rongali Bihu, Naba Barsha, Vaisakhadi, Puthandu, Pirappu, which are being celebrated in different parts of the country on 13th and 14th April, 2020, has said:-
“On the auspicious occasion of Vaisakhi, Vishu, Rongali Bihu, Naba Barsha, Vaisakhadi, Puthandu, Pirappu, I extend my warm greetings and good wishes to all my fellow citizens in India and abroad.
These festivals are a symbol of unity inherent in the cultural diversity of India and are also an occasion to celebrate our farmers. Our farmers should always be at the centre of our gratitude as they not only produce food grains for us but also bring us food security and prosperity through their tireless efforts.
We are, currently, in the midst of an unprecedented challenge posed by COVID-19. Let us, this year, observe these festivals and reiterate our combined and collective resolve to defeat Corona Virus while following social distancing norms and due caution”.
Click here for the President’s message in Hindi
Ministry of Education
As advised by Union HRD Minister, University Grants Commission issues advisory on Mental Health & Well-Being of Students in wake of COVID-19
In view of the present scenario amidst threat of COVID-19, Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' directed the heads of autonomous institutions coming under the Ministry to take necessary steps for Mental Health & Well-Being of Students in wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
Accordingly, in order to address any kind of mental health and psycho-social concerns of the student community during and after COVID-19, UGC has requested all Universities and Colleges to take the following measures for the mental health, psychosocial aspects and well-being of the students:
1. Set up help lines for mental health, psychosocial concerns and well-being of students in Universities / Colleges. To be regularly monitored and managed by Counsellors and other identified faculty members.
2. Regular mentoring of students through interactions, and appeals/letters by the Universities/Colleges to remain calm and stress free. This can be achieved through telephones, e-mails, digital and social media platforms.
3. Form COVID-19 help groups of students, headed by hostel wardens / senior faculty who can identify friends/classmates in need of help and provide immediate necessary help.
4. Share the following video links of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare https://www.mohfw.gov.in/ on your University/College website, and with students and faculty via e-mail, through social media like Facebook, WhatsApp and twitter etc.:
https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/MindingourmindsduringCoronaeditedat.pdf
The implementation of the above measures is to be regularly monitored and actions taken in this regard may be submitted on the University Activity Monitoring Portal of UGC at ugc.ac.in/uamp.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID-19 UPDATE
191.65 cr vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive
India's Active caseload currently stands at 15,647
Active cases stand at 0.04%
Recovery Rate currently at 98.75%
2,549 recoveries in the last 24 hours increases Total Recoveries to
4,25,87,259
1,829 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours
Daily positivity rate 
Weekly Positivity Rate 
84.49 cr Total Tests conducted so far; 4,34,962 tests conducted in the last 24 hours
Ministry of Education
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan welcomes Prime Minister’s decision to fill up 10 lakh Government vacancies
Ministries of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship are committed to fill up vacancies at the earliest - Shri Dharmendra Pradhan
Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan while expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for the decision to fill-up 10 lakh govt. vacancies in mission-mode in the next 1.5 years.
He said that the Ministries of Education and Skill Development are committed to fill-up all vacancies in their respective departments in the next 1.5 years. Terming this decision significant and people-centric that will further strengthen the employment scenario and bring a lot of cheer and optimism for India’s youth. He further said that accountability, people-centric governance and meeting targets before deadline is a hallmark of this Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He also said that all vacant teaching & non-teaching posts in HEIs, Kendriya Vidyalayas , Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and other departments will be filled-up at the earliest.
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Union Agriculture Minister calls for farmers’ movement on integrated soil nutrient management based on Soil Health Card
Launch mission mode awareness campaigns on increasing use of bio and organic fertilisers and reducing chemical fertilisers: Shri Narendra Singh Tomar
The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has called for making integrated soil nutrient management a farmers’ movement. Reviewing the progress of the Soil Health Programme here today, he directed running mission mode awareness campaigns on increasing use of bio and organic fertilisers and reducing chemical fertilisers strictly based on recommendations of Soil Health Card.
During 2020-21, the major focus of the programme would be on mass awareness programme for farmers in over 1 lakh villages covering all districts of the country. Shri Tomar advocated the setting up of village level Soil Testing Labs by youth having education in agriculture, Women Self Help Groups, FPOs etc. He said the SHC scheme will focus on enabling employment generation after appropriate skill development.
The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare will launch a comprehensive campaign on soil test based rational application of fertilisers and promotion of organic farming including Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati  for safe nutritious food in association with the Departments of Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Under the SHC scheme Soil Health Cards are provided to all farmers at an interval of 2 years. Launched by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on February 19, 2015 at Suratgarh, Rajasthan, these cards provide information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendation on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.
Deterioration of soil chemical, physical and biological health is considered as one of the reasons for stagnation of agricultural productivity in India.
Soil Health Card provides two sets of fertilizer recommendations for six crops including recommendations of organic manures. Farmers can also get recommendations for additional crops on demand. They can also print the card as their own from SHC portal. SHC portal has farmers database of both the cycles and is available in 21 languages for the benefit of the farmers.
A 2017 study by the National Productivity Council  found that the SHC scheme has promoted sustainable farming and led to a decrease of use of chemical fertilizer application in the range of 8-10%. Besides, overall increase in the yield of crops to the tune of 5-6% was reported due to application of fertilizer and micro nutrients as per recommendations available in the Soil Health Cards.
Ministry of Defence
Dr Bhamre inaugurates Janaushadhi Kendra at Base Hospital
Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr Subhash Bhamre on the occasion of Janaushadhi Diwas inaugurated a Janaushadhi Kendra at Base Hospital, Delhi Cantthere today. It will be a pilot Kendra, which is in line with Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana .
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Bhamre said, “I would like to apprise you that Ministry of Defence [in June] last year had mandated that Janaushadhi Kendras to be empanelled with ECHS as Authorised Local Chemist  which will benefit the provisioning of medicines at much cheaper rate vis-a-vis market rate.”
It will also help the hospitals to procure bulk medicines for ECHS patients from the Janaushadhi Kendra as a registered vendor, leading to cost reduction in procurement of drugs through ECHS as well as DGLP funds. The speed of delivery will provide succour and greater satisfaction to veterans and their dependents.
Dr Bhamre acknowledged the efforts taken by DGMS  & Colonel Commandant Lt Gen Manomoy Ganguly, present there on the occasion, to open the first Janaushadhi Kendra and also requested him to open more such outlets in other hospitals located across the country as soon as possible.
The Janaushadhi Kendras provide quality generic medicines at affordable costs for all. Presently there are 5,053 Janaushadhi Kendras in 652 districts providing quality generic medicines that are cheaper by 50-90 per cent as compared to average market price. This scheme has played a big role in bringing down the out of pocket expenditure of patients suffering from life threatening diseases in the country, leading to an approximate savings of Rs 1,000 crore of the people.
Nampi/DK/HS
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Ministry of Defence
Indian Coast Guard & ATS, Gujarat apprehend a Pak boat carrying Rs 200 crore worth of drugs from Indian waters
The Indian Coast Guard  and ATS, Gujarat have jointly apprehended a Pakistani boat with six crew, carrying approximately 40 kilograms of drugs worth Rs 200 crore, from Indian waters. On the intervening night of September 13-14, 2022, the ICG, on the basis of intelligence inputs by ATS Gujarat, strategically deployed two fast interceptor class of ships - C-408 and C-454 - for patrolling in the area close to notional International Maritime Border Line . A Pakistani boat was spotted moving suspiciously in Indian waters, five nautical miles inside notional IMBL and 40 nautical miles from Jakhau. On being challenged, the Pakistani boat over boarded a consignment and started evasive manoeuvring. Braving rough seas, the ICG ships intercepted the boat and apprehended it.
The boat is being brought to Jakhau for further joint investigation. This is the fifth such joint operation by the ICG and ATS, Gujarat in last one year. It highlights the importance of effective coordination amongst stakeholders for robust coastal security network.
ABB/Savvy
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